How Fond Are You of Netherfield?
by Merenwen Calmcacil
Summary: “Name your wish Janie and if it is in my power it will be yours,” Charles interrupted as he sat up as well and grasped his wife’s small hands in his own. “You are my world, my love, and I would not see you unhappy for anything.”


Disclaimer: No I do not own Pride and Prejudice. I would love to, but I don't. Reviews are always appreciated and flames are tolerable I suppose…

Jane sank down onto the bed next to her husband. She rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face in the pillow. Charles looked up from the book he was reading and smiled at his wife, although she couldn't see it. The room was dark, save the light from the oil lamp on the bedside table and both Jane and Charles were already dressed for bed. Jane's hair hung in loose blond curls down her back and her pale feet hung off the end of the bed. Jane groaned again and then Charles put his book down and rolled over to lie next to his wife. "Janie, darling, what's bothering you on this lovely night?"

Jane simply groaned again and buried her face in her pillow. She hated complaining and although she didn't like shutting out her husband of ten months, she didn't want him to bear the burden of her frustrations or say something that hurt his feelings when he had nothing to do with it. So, Jane did the only thing she could think of, she pulled her pillow over her head.

Charles knew something was bothering his wife. He also knew that neither one of them would get any sleep until Jane finally spoke of her feelings so that he could put her fears to rest, or offer comfort, or do whatever was required of him so that they could both sleep in peace that night. He smiled fondly at his wife's antics when she buried her head under the pillow in hopes of blocking him out. He knew his wife all to well and figured that her discontentment had nothing to do with him, for if it did, she would have told him so. However he knew that she needed to speak her mind and so, he did with only thing he could think of. He snaked an arm around her tiny waist and began to tickle her.

Jane tried to squirm away from Charles' tickling fingers, but only managed to press herself closer to her adorning husband and once she was within reach, he was effectively able to flip her over onto her back and pin her down so that she had to face him. "Whatever am I going to do with you, Mr. Bingley?" Jane inquired with a soft smile on her lips.

"You are going to inform me as to what is bothering my beautiful wife, Mrs. Bingley," he informed her and then pressed a quick kiss on her lips. "I want to hear the whole story, for it must be a grave concern indeed to put my lovely and amiable wife out of spirits."

"It is not so serious Charlie," she replied with a wistful sigh. "It's just… Are you so terribly fond of Netherfield?"

"I like the house well enough," he replied with a slight frown. "Are you unhappy with the house Jane?"

"No, I think there are few homes in all of England that are lovelier than our dear Netherfield," Jane responded and sat up to emphasize her point. "I love our home and the life we share in it. I just wish…"

"Name your wish Janie and if it is in my power it will be yours," Charles interrupted as he sat up as well and grasped his wife's small hands in his own. "You are my world, my love, and I would not see you unhappy for anything."

"I desire to live farther away from Longbourn!" Jane exclaimed and then clapped her hands over her mouth in shock over her outburst. Her cheeks turned a rosy red and then Jane promptly flipped back over onto her stomach and buried her face in the pillow. Her embarrassment was all the greater when she heard her husband start to laugh.

"Oh, Janie dear I wish you had just come to me and told me of your concern," Charles replied and took his wife in his arms. "For I dared not bring up the subject. I thought that you enjoyed living so close to your family and would loath moving away. In truth, I have long since wanted to move north, perhaps somewhere near Derbyshire so that we could be closer to Pemberly."

"Could we Charlie?" Jane inquired, her eyes alight with hope. "For I love Netherfield, I swear I do, however I am growing weary of having my mother and sister come over every day and my mother telling me what to do. I am mistress of this house, but she is changing all of my orders and telling the servants not to listen to me and to do what she is telling them instead. I know that I am young and probably make my fair share of mistakes; however I shall never learn how to be a proper wife and mistress of an estate if I am not given the chance to learn!"

As her outburst concluded, Charles sat back against the headboard, momentarily stunned. Jane was about to draw away from him when he started to laugh and shower her face with kisses. "Oh my dearest darling Jane, do you have any idea just how much I love you? I do believe that you are the most wonderful woman in all of England!"

"Charles, are you alright?" Jane asked quizzically. "Are you sure you are not ill or something?"

"Jane, you have made me the happiest man in all of England right now," he responded and then pressed his lips against hers for another kiss.

"I had hoped to make you the happiest man in England for quite another reason entirely this evening," Jane said softly. "I didn't think that you would express so much joy over my discontentment."

"I'm quite sure that I don't understand your meaning Jane," Charles stated with a frown.

"Well, you know how I have been feeling ill these past few mornings," Jane began tactfully. "And then you told me to have the doctor come out and look me over and he came toady."

"Yes Jane, I already knew all of that. I stopped the doctor on his way out and inquired after your health. He informed me that you were in perfect health."

"Yes, my health is fine," Jane assured him. "My news is of a different nature and an entirely more pleasant one."

"Well come out with it Jane," Charles said impatiently. "I swear the suspense is killing me!"

"I hope we can find a new home and settle in within the next seven to eight months," Jane replied with a little smile. "Because I should like to already be settled in when our son or daughter is born…" Jane settled back against the pillows to watch her husbands face. His expression changed from one of wonder to excitement to pure unabashed joy.

"Really Janie?" he asked like a little boy on Christmas morning. "Are you absolutely sure?" One minute Jane was nodding her head, the next her husband had her pinned down beneath him and was pressing kisses all over face whispering 'I love you' in between each kiss. His kisses started to stray lower down her neck and to that one sensitive place on her shoulder. When Jane moaned, Charles looked up startled. "Are you sure it's alright for us to…" Jane nodded and Charles smiled, then continued his exploration of the tender place where Jane's neck and shoulder met. It was not until the early hours of the morning that the master and mistress of Netherfield finally slept.


End file.
